


Berries

by thightickle



Series: Tumblr Ficlets [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-14
Updated: 2018-05-14
Packaged: 2019-05-07 00:56:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14659868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thightickle/pseuds/thightickle
Summary: 5/14/18 ficlet posted on tumblr





	Berries

**Author's Note:**

> 5/14/18 ficlet posted on tumblr

Rhett and Link at 13 years old. It’s a hot day in May, the first day it’s gotten up to 90 degrees all year. They’ve been eyeing a little patch of wild strawberry’s for about a month, just waiting for those tiny, white blooms to produce green nubs that would soon grow into big, red berries.

They’ve only got a few weeks until school is out and they can run all over creation. Swim down at the river and sun themselves on rocks to their hearts content. But no doubt the best part of summer is exploring the woods and finding fruits hidden in the bushes and brambles of the landscape. They hold hands as they cross over big twisted oak roots in search of the many bushes and trees they know yield the sweetest fruits.

They’ll pick blackberries and muscadines until it gets dark, brining back the excess fruit in their shirts and pockets for a sweet treat later that night. They come back to their mamas with sunburnt cheeks and juice-stained lips. Wiping off their sticky hands on clean bedsheets and wondering if the other will want to go exploring tomorrow too.

Boys grow into men and daily walks in the woods turn into car rides down the highway to entertain pretty girls.

Then they’re 18 and back home from their first year of college before they go search for crab apples and honeysuckles again. They’re shyer than they were as children, but they hold each other’s hands for balance to cross over briars and rocks that dot the landscape.

When they’ve finally settled on rock with a handful of raspberries and they’re quiet and reflective. Link is looking at the juice staining his hands and Rhett is looking straight at Link. Link brings his hand to his lips and tentatively licks of a droplet of juice that’s running down his thumb. Rhett looks away and blushes redder than the raspberries in his lap.

Link can feel Rhett’s eyes on him each time he eats a berry. It’s not until he sees Rhett’s hand in his perephrial that their eyes meet and Link sees Rhett is offering up a raspberry. Link leans in with wide eyes and his mouth ajar to accept the treat. Lips meet fingers when Rhett delicately pushes the berry past Links stained mouth.

I’m that moment with Links lips on his finger, sucking off the remaining droplets of juice, Rhett feels bold. He feels like he’s 13 again and all he thinks about is exploring the woods with Link, all wild grapes and bitter persimmons.

Rhett chases the raspberry with his lips and kisses Link sweeter than any fruit in North Carolina.


End file.
